The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics announced a policy Monday that all but bans transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports at its 241 mostly small colleges across the country.
The NAIA Council of Presidents approved the policy in a 20-0 vote at its annual convention in Kansas City, Missouri. The NAIA, which oversees some 83,000 athletes competing in more than 25 sports, is believed to be the first college sports organization to take such a step.
According to the transgender participation policy, all athletes may participate in NAIA-sponsored male sports but only athletes whose biological sex assigned at birth is female and have not begun hormone therapy will be allowed participate in women’s sports.
A student who has begun hormone therapy may participate in activities such as workouts, practices and team activities, but not in interscholastic competition.
Why don’t all the people in support of trans people in sports just host their own events?
That way they can make their own rules.
1947: It’s not fair that they want to add black people to white baseball leagues, what if they’re better than the white players! Why don’t all the people in support of black people just host their own sporting events? This is totally unfair.
2024: it’s not fair that they want to add trans women to cis women’s sports leagues. What if they’re better than the cis female players! Why don’t all the people in support of trans people just host their own events?
2124: it’s not fair that they want to add [insert minority social group with limited population, power, and resources] to [thing majority group cares about keeping control of]. What if they [improve the overall product or system]? Why don’t all the people that support [minority group] make a special [thing] just for them?
It’s important to consider that this is not the first time society freaked out about who was allowed to pay in which sports league. It turned out fine last time, better, in fact.